Beeswax and Mint
by Miko Mandie
Summary: After an intense detention session, Fred finds a bleeding and crying Hermione outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom and decides to help soothe her wounds. Set during Order of the Phoenix. Fred x Hermione. One-shot.


**Authors Note: **I thought of this idea when I was watching Order of the Phoenix sometime last Christmas time. This is my spin on a scene that I think is one of the cutest in the series. It's when the twins are talking to a young boy after he has endured a detention with Umbridge and her quills. In my version, it's Fred who finds Hermione sitting outside of the classroom. I hope you enjoy it, it's a lot different than my DracoxHermione fiction, but I was in a good mood tonight after being ill for the past 4 days and decided to get it out of my brain :) Thank you for Reading, and don't forget to review if it tickles your fancy. xoxoamandanicole

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Beeswax and Mint**

_Hermione and Fred_

1 of 1

_OOO_

Hermione sat on the old, knotted, sturdy oak bench outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom; her bleeding hand clutched against her chest. She had just finished an intense detention session with none other than the vile Delores Umbridge, also known as the bitch that lived to make Harry and everyone else's lives at Hogwarts a living hell.

Hermione loved school. It was a save haven. A place where people accepted her power and understood that she wasn't another freak of nature, as she had been labeled at her old school. Hermione learned quickly that making pencils and lunchboxes disappear was not an easy way to make friends. It wasn't easy to make friends here either; some shunned her for her non-magical upbringing, but that didn't stop Hermione from trying to prove herself every step of the way.

This determination to always be the best is what sometimes got her in trouble. She marched to the beat of her own drummer and while she often followed the rules, Hermione never let anyone tell her that she couldn't do something.

This determination is exactly why she was sitting outside of Dolores Umbridge's office, at 9 PM, tears softly dripping onto the raw top of her hand. She was currently one in-classroom outburst away from a permanently disfigured hand. Over the past month, she had been present for several of Umbridge's torture sessions. The words _I will keep my mouth shut _carved repetitively into her soft flesh.

She felt unbelievably alone. Ron and Harry were supposed to have been there by now to pick her up; it didn't seem like a smart idea to wander the halls alone, at night, in the dead of winter. So she decided to just sit there and occasionally peer down the corridor searching for a sight of her two best friends.

Hermione looked down at her tear and bloodstained hand again. "If there ever was a time I wished I were a Phoenix, it's now." Hermione whispered to herself. It was cold outside and the winter air was definitely taking a toll of the inhabitants of the drafty castle.

Hermione sat there in her white blouse, Gryffindor tie loosely around her neck and wished that she had decided to wear pants on this cold February night. Her uniform was hardly any protection against the Scottish wind-chill.

Suddenly a warm, knitted, light blue sweater with a large **F** embroidered on it was placed upon her lap. Hermione looked up and saw non other than her best friends' older brother, Fred Weasley. His cornflower blue eyes were staring intently at her hand, which was still bleeding.

Hermione quickly attempted to cover her damaged hand with her left, less mangled hand. "It's nothing. I'll be okay in the morning."

"A bloody hand isn't _nothing _Hermione. When it gets infected and falls off, it's not going to be nothing. Who will Ron get to do his homework then?" Fred delivered a soft smile that told her that while he wasn't happy with what had happened, he wasn't there to whine about Umbridge. "Let me see your hand."

Hermione looked at her hand, then to Fred and eventually offered it to him. His touch was feather soft as he traced a calloused finger along the angry red skin around the wound.

While Fred was studiously inspecting her hand, Hermione took his distraction as an opportunity to look him over.

He was extremely tall, she would give him that; she was barely up to his shoulder while they were seated. His mop of vibrant red hair was so similar to all his Weasely counterparts, yet, so different at the same time. It reminded Hermione of a flower that her grandmother had kept in her garden before she had passed. It also looked unbelievably soft and she just wanted to reach out and touch it. Ron's hair seemed sort of, course, perhaps. Fred also had an extremely attractive personality. While he was the jokester more often than not, she knew he cared and tried to make the best out of a situation. She found his personality to be, beautiful, if a personality could be called such.

Hermione was brought back to the present when Fred reached over and brushed a stray, errant curl behind her ear. "It was getting pretty close to the wound. We wouldn't want anything to aggravate it any more right?" Another smile and all Hermione could do was not minutely, embarrassed.

He must have sensed this though, "Don't worry, I think you have a fine head of hair pet. A little messiness in life never hurt anyone. Who would want boring hair like Parvati or Cho? A little too boring if you ask me. I like a little spontaneity."

Hermione knew he was making small talk, but it didn't matter. His little tangents were keeping her mind off of the seared message that was being carved into her skin.

"I like your hair too." She blurted out without really thinking about it. "I mean, it's bright and soft looking, very bright."

Hermione blushed and looked away, pulling on a loose thread on her skirt.

"You're too cute Hermione. A real gem. Now let's see what we can do about your hand." He stuck his hand into his robe pocket and pulled out a little tub of waxy peach colored cream. "Me and George put this together after out first session with Madame Toad. Some beeswax and mint oil."

George reached into the pot and used his pointer and middle finger to gather some of the cream.

"It smells nice." Hermione pondered absently.

"It'll feel nice too. Let me see your hand again?"

Hermione relinquished her hand once again and let Fred take hold of it. He used his large left hand to cradle Hermione's delicate wrist and began to apply the cream. She sucked in a large gasp when the cream touched her skin

"Not hurting you, am I?"

"No, no, it feels quite nice. Tingly and cool." She couldn't believe how nice the cream felt. She realized she was leaning closer to Fred, head on his shoulder while he administered the cream. It was so easy to relax against him. Lulled by the constant motion of his hand on hers. Gently rubbing the cream into the raw flesh surrounding the cuts.

"Fall asleep on me yet Hermione?" He now had his hand in hers, palm against palm. The warmth of his palm comforted her as the creamy balm had soothed her injury.

"Not just yet. You should really market your cream. I am sure many more uses could be found for it." Hermione inspected their clasped hands. She wondered if he realized that their hands were still entwined. "Thank you so much Fred. I really needed someone tonight." Her voice hitched and Fred brought his attention back to face and stared into her amber eyes.

"Don't cry. I am sure Ron or Harry would be here if they weren't tied up. And I'll be here any time you need me. Just call my name." He smiled again and she smiled back.

Fred leaned forward and brushed a tear from her eye with his thumb. After the tear was dispatched, he didn't remove his hand. He let it rest on her soft cheek before using it to cup her jaw line.

Slowly, as if giving Hermione time to shy away, Fred leaned in to nudge his nose against hers. She took the hint and lifted her face to look into Fred's eyes. She waited only a second to feel his soft lips against hers, moving slowly and surely. Hermione gasped into the kiss as Fred ran his tongue over her full bottom lip. His teeth eventually followed the same path and peppered the flesh with small teasing nips. Instead of opening her lips to him, Hermione also ran her tongue over Fred's slightly chapped lip.

Fred's demeanor changed in a flash. What was a shy and hesitant kiss at first, turned into something more heated. The second Hermione's soft tongue sought out his lip, Fred shifted his long legs to the side and pulled her over onto his lap. She landed with a squeak but didn't break the kiss. Her arms found their way around his neck and her tiny hands made quick work of caressing his hair.

Fred's large hands cradled Hermione's rounded hips and splayed against the small of her back. While heated, the kiss still continued at a slow and steady pace as the teens took time to explore each other. Hermione took her time stroking her tongue against his and Fred soothingly ran his rough hand against the soft skin of Hermione's thigh; once in a while taking his time to grip the tops of her stockings.

The kiss didn't progress any further than a soft touches and tangling tongues. When they finally came up for air, Hermione rested her forehead against Fred's, while he tucked another lock of curly hair behind her ear.

"Wow, definitely, wow. I am surely going to spend more time in that Library of yours pet."

Hermione let out a breathy laugh, "What just happened exactly?"

Fred took her hand again, checking to make sure it was still okay, and then twined their fingers together; brushing his thumb gently against the red skin. "I have no idea. But I can't really say I care that I have no idea what it going on here." He looked flustered. A red blush was creeping up his pale neck into his cheeks.

"What?" Hermione questioned, confused. She was still a little dazzled from all that happened in the last half-hour.

"Never mind. I think if I talk anymore, I'll just confuse myself beyond help." He smiled again and Hermione couldn't help but giggle.

Yes, the Hermione "16 going on 60" Granger giggled.

The small tinkling laughter lightened the mood considerably and Hermione blushed, embarrassed at the noise. "You've turned me into a fool Fred Weasley."

"I like you a fool Hermione Granger." Fred leaned in to deliver another light kiss of her lips.

"Hem, hem."

At the obnoxious noise, Hermione basically flew off his lap, right onto the floor before the feet of non other than Professor Dolores Umbridge.

"What is this we have here Ms. Granger," she turned up her nose as if she smelled something filthy, "Mr. Weasely. I find it is blatantly obvious that you are both out after curfew, detention number one, not at least 12 inches away from each other, obviously detention number two, out of dress code, detention number three, and deliberately making a gross spectacle of yourselves, detention number four. I will see you tomorrow. Do run along now?" Umbridge smiled at them and straightened her meowing kitty broach.

Hermione winced thinking about the next week of detentions. She looked up to find Fred extending a hand to her. He pulled her up with such a great force that she clumsily fell into his arms.

"TWELVE INCHES!" Umbridge's nails on a chalkboard voice broke them out of their reverie.

Fred laughed and pulled Hermione along with him toward Gryffindor tower. "I think me and George are gonna have to get working on that balm. Persephone."

"I think so too." Hermione walked through the portrait and into the common room in front of Fred only to stop by the girls' staircase.

"So, what are you up to tomorrow night?" Fred smiled as he watched Hermione fidget underneath his stare.

"Well, I think I have detention Mr. Weasley."

Fred's smile widened as he brushed yet another errant curl away from Hermione's face. "Really? Me too, want to make it a date?"

Hermione's smile lit up the room as she nodded and balanced on her tiptoes to brush a gentle kiss on Fred's lips. "Sounds good to me." She whispered against his lips.

Fred gently licked her lower lip. "Tomorrow pet."

"Tomorrow." Hermione smiled and made her way up the staircase.

_Tomorrow. _

_OOO_

**Thanks for reading!**

**Sequel? Most likely.**

**Fred has been running around my head a lot lately.**

_It's also time for a shout out. If you haven't read __**FINDING HIMSELF by Minisinoo**__. Do go check it out. It is a Hermione x Cedric, novel length story (Which is complete). No matter which pairing you favor regarding fics, you will fall in love with this story. It is absolutely lovely and so well written. For whatever reason, it doesn't have many reviews, but trust me! It is worth your time. I love it! And you will too!_

-March 4, 2008 12:20 AM


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